Recommendations for procurement of starting materials by apheresis for advanced therapy medicinal products.

Activities involved in the production of certain advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) require standardized approaches to mononuclear cell procurement to ensure the highest product quality, safety and process efficiency. These aims must be achieved while meeting regulatory and accreditation requirements for the procurement of mononuclear cells as starting materials. Mononuclear cells constitute the starting materials for many ATMPs, and this article sets out recommendations for procurement by clinical apheresis, addressing the variation among existing working practices and different manufacturers' requirements that currently poses a challenge when managing multiple different protocols.

The role of nurses in blood services and donor sessions.

On 14 June the National Blood Service (NBS) is hosting World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). The need for blood is universal and many people know of someone who has required blood to save or improve her or his life. The nurse is clinically responsible for the donation session, with the care of donors and the safety of the blood being their main priority.